Ventilated switch box



Sept. 1, 1931. A. B. RYPINSKI 1,821,398

VENTILATED SWITCH BOX liiled Dec. 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 6'4 22 I g lberi Bi [By aws/ii ATTORN Y P 1, 1931- A. B. RYPINSKI 1,821,898

VENTILATED SWITCH BOX Filed D60. 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT B. RYPINSKI, OF LAU BELTON, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO METROPOLITAN DEVICE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK VENTILATED SWITCH BOX Application filed December 14-, 1928. Serial No. 325,990.

This invention relates to improvements in switch boxes and aims to provide a device for inclosing a sO-called electric cutout switch having fuses for protecting a circuit and means whereby a circulation of air is maintained through the switch box so as to cool the fuses and other current carrying parts. The invention will be apparent from the following specifications, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and the features of novelty will be defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a switch box illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 22 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification; F 4 is a vertical section through a switch box illustrating a further modification;

Fig. 5 is a View of another modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings 10 rep resents a switch box having top and bottom Walls 12 and 14 rear wall 16 and side walls.

18 and 20. Secured to the rear wall 16 in any suitable manner is a base 22 formed of insulating material and carrying a plurality of switch contacts 24: which are connected to suitable feed wires 26.

A combined switch blade and fuse carrier 28 is mounted for rotation with relation to the base in any suitable manner for example, by means of a stub shaft 30 as shown. The carrier 28 has secured thereto switch blades 32 which coact with the contacts 24. Fuse clips 34 are electrically connected with the switch blades 32 and are adapted to receive fuses 36 which in the embodiment illustrated are of the cartridge type.

Any suitable means may be provided for rotating the carrier 28. This mechanism is not illustrated as its operation is not essential tov an understanding of the present invention. The switch operating mechanism mar be the kind illustrated in the copending ap plication of Murray and Rvpinski filed March 12, 1926. Serial No. 94,135. V

The front of the switch box is closed by a main cover 38 having angular marginal of the fuse box.

flanges 40 which overlap the walls 12, 13, 18 and 20. This cover is usually made fast to the switch box and sealed so that only authorized persons can have access to the interior is hinged at 44 to the main cover and when this cover is lifted access may be had to the fuses 36 for the purpose. of examination or renewal. Usually the supplemental cover 42 coacts with the carrier 28 in such manner that access can be had to the fuses only when the switch blades 32 are disconnected from the contacts 24.

In switch boxes of this character the switch prevent overheating thereof and also so as to cool the fuses.

It is desirable to cool the fuses and copper parts so as to prevent current-carrying metal losing its elasticity or temper under the excess heat and also to prevent oxidation of contacts under excess heat. faces increases the resistance to current flow from one surface to another and increases the heat loss at this point and therefore tends to still further overheat the current carrying parts.

Thus it is apparent that when a temperature is reached at which oxidation begins, the

A supplemental cover 42 Oxidation of contact surcumulative action described causes the condition to grow rapidly worse. When carried to an extreme point one of two things occurs. 4

Either the fuse gets so hot that it melts, not because of an excess current flowing through it but because of the heat conducted into the fusible element from its terminals, or else the contact grows so bad that arcing starts between the surfaces in contact which eventually melts the metal andopens the circuit. In either case the circuit is interrupted not due to any excessive current flow but due to excess heating of parts in circuit.

My invention prevents the above mentioned objectional over heating of the fuse and other current carrying parts.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2 I provide the box with a so-called chimney member 46 having flanges 48 which are riveted, electrically welded, or otherwise secured to the main box cover 38.

' This chimney member as shown in Fig. 1 extends from the point 50 at the top to the point 52 near the bottom so that a circulation of air as indicated by the arrows may be maintained between the switch compartment 54 and the fuse compartment 56. This circulation will cool the fuses to such point that they will not be detrimentally overheated under normal conditions.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated a modified embodiment of the invention including a switch compartment 54a separated from the fuse compartment 56a by a partition or wall 58 extending from top to bottom and from side to side of the switch box. In this view in the interest of simplicity of illustration, the switch terminals and contact blades have been omitted it being understood that they may be substantially the same as shown in Fig. 1. In this modification a main cover 38a is provided with louvers 60 and 62 which serve respectively as air inlets and outlets so as to maintain a circulation of air through the fuse compartment 56a as indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in which fuse clips 34a are carried by a stationary block of insulation 64 whiqh'supports a pivota-lly mounted switch blade 66 coacting with switch contacts 68 the blade being operable by means of a hand actuated arm 70. In this embodiment of the invention the switch compartment 54b is separated from the fuse compartment 56?) by means of a partition wall 586 and the main cover 38?) is provided with air inlet and outlet louvers 60a and 62a substantially the same as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a further modification wherein the switch compartment 540 comprises substantially the entire interior of the switch box 10a the front of the box being closed by main cover 380, a fuse compartment 560 being enclosed by a supplemental cover 420 which is hinged or otherwise detachably secured to the main cover. provided with inlet and outlet louvers 7 2 and 74 respectively so as to provide means for maintaining a circulation of outside air through the fuse compartment as indicated by the arrows. The switch blade and its cooperating contacts are substantially the same as those shown in Fig. 4 and the correspond- The supplemental cover is' a fuse clip on the other side thereof, and a a wall with an opening with which said carrier is interfitted so that said wall and said carrier jointly define separate ventilating chambers for the switch blades and the fuse adapted to be supported on said fuse clip.

2. A switch box having an intermediate wall with an opening therein, a fuse carrier having a switchblade on one side and fuse carrying clips on the other side thereof, and a cover spaced from said wall adapted when open to give access to said fuse carrier, said cover and said wall jointly forming a chimney-like fuse Ventilating chamber.

3. A switch box having a carrier rotatably mounted therein, a switch blade on one side and a fuse support on the other side thereof, a wall disposed in a plane intermediate said switch blade and said fuse support, said wall constituting a partition dividing the box into a fuse compartment and a switch blade compartment substantially as described.

4. A switch box having a cover movably mounted thereon, a combined switch blade and fuse carrier supported within said switch box, a partition wall secured to said cover but having a portion spaced away therefrom, said partition wall having an opening therein through which part of said carrier projects.

and a fuse supported by said carrier, the fuse lying in the space between said partition wall and said cover, said partition wall being adapted to form a ventilated fuse compartment within said box.

5. A device of the character described comprising a sheet metal switch box, a carrier mounted within the box and having a switch and fuse secured thereto, a cover hinged to the box, a sheet metal chimney secured to said cover for circulating air, the assemblage providing for ventilation of the fuse when the cover is in a closed position and exposure of the fuse and switch when the cover and chimney carried thereby are swung to open position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ALBERT B. RYPINSKI. 

